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An analysis of the novel 'the giver' by lois lowry, focusing on various themes. The themes include perfection, where the community sacrifices individual families, choices, human life, and love. Pain and joy are interconnected, and the understanding of one enhances the other. Memory is crucial for decision-making, and the elders in the community rely on the giver's memories to make informed decisions. Individuality and the struggle between individual and society are explored, with jonas' realization of his uniqueness leading him to take a stand. Rules and order are essential for a predictable life but can limit individual freedom and choices.
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Topic Theme Text Evidence That Supports This Theme Perfection Perfection is not a goal that is worth striving for. In order to create a perfect society, Jonas’ community sacrifices: ● True families (families are created so that no one is alone; elderly are placed in houses that care for the old so that they are cared for, but this means no one has grandparents or connections to their own parents past a certain age) ● Individual choices (choosing your career, who you love, what/how you feel, what you keep private vs. what you tell to others, etc.) ● The value of human life (people are released - or killed - as a way to control the population, preserve sameness, prevent sickness/suffering, or as punishment) ● Love (Jonas’ parents respond to him with a lecture about precision of language when he asks if they love him. They don’t know what love is because the community removed the true emotions that people can feel when they moved to Sameness). Pain/ Joy There can be no pleasure without pain and no pain without pleasure. You cannot value the pleasure an experience can bring you if you do not also understand pain. Evidence from the text that shows this: ● Jonas reflections that his family members do not truly know what anger or sadness is ● Jonas’ question to his parents about whether they love him demonstrates that they do not understand the depths of love; they also live lives that are free from pain as a trade-off ● Death in Jonas’ community is not tragic because life is not precious or unique. Any of the text evidence related to release could support this theme. Memory We learn from our past mistakes. Without the memories of those mistakes, we cannot make decisions about our future. ● The elders of Jonas’ community rely on The Giver to advise them because they have no memory of the past to ground decisions for the future. For example, they wanted to increase the number of children each birth mother would have, but The
Giver advised them against it because he understood the risk of overpopulation from the memories. The elders - and the members of the community - have no idea that people can starve or go without basic necessities. ● As Jonas learns more and receives more memories, he becomes more confident in his decisions. For example, the memories allow him to understand what the community has sacrificed and has given him the confidence he needs to plan to change the community with The Giver and escape with Gabriel to save his life. Individuality/ Individual vs. Society In Jonas’ society, Sameness is valued above all else. No one is unique. There are no colors, no differences, no choices. As a result, the community has complete control over the people. The community decides what people do, who becomes their family, how they live, and when and how they die. Examples include: ● Telling of feelings and dreams to monitor people’s feelings ● Ceremonies that decide people’s fates (naming, family units, assignments for jobs) ● Examples of release in the text Only when Jonas becomes aware of the memories of the past does he realize that he is an individual and that the community has sacrificed too much in the name of Sameness. Jonas’ understanding allows him to take a stand, and shows that an individual can stand up to a community/ powers that be, but that it takes bravery and sacrifice. ● Jonas sacrifices his life to escape with Gabriel. ● Jonas sacrifices his relationship with The Giver to try and bring change to the community. Rules and order/ lack of freedom Rules can make life predictable and orderly, but too many rules can prevent individuals from making choices for themselves Jonas’ community runs smoothly and predictable. Everyone has a family, a job, enough to eat, clear expectations about how to act and how to live. For example: ● Community members must apologize for imprecise or using incorrect language